CPU power saving features ON or OFF

[andy5174]

While power saving features are enabled, there are immensely frequent voltage and temperature variations which is harmful to electronic devices especially the ones that are delicate such as CPU.

In addition, some transistors are always on while the rest are turned off most of the time with the power saving features turned on. Hence, certain transistors will wear out much faster than the others and therefore it comes to my concern whether it would lead to instability of CPU after some time of use.

What do you think?

 

[Raidur]

If it really made a true difference I doubt they'd include it, maybe they make the CPUs resistant to that kind of thing. You'd think it would increase the life of your CPU because of the lower heat and power it generates over time, I do get your point though and tbh I don't really know electronics quite that technically.

 

[andy5174]

If it really made a true difference I doubt they'd include it, maybe they make the CPUs resistant to that kind of thing. You'd think it would increase the life of your CPU because of the lower heat and power it generates over time, I do get your point though and tbh I don't really know electronics quite that technically.

I am sure that they turn off some power gate transistors completely on LGA1156 platform with PCU to achieve power saving mode instead of putting more resistance to reduce the current.

 

[Lord-Ilpolazzo]

Thats all nonsense, power saving features certainly dont do any harm to a processor. Whe it comes to temperature changes, as I understand it a huge ammount of effort goes into selecting the right substrate and case materials, glues etc such that their co-efficients of thermal expansion are in some way matched so that temperature changes across a certain range do not cause damage.

I dont think it's right to think of a cpu like flahs memory for example, where it wears out the more you use it or excercise certain parts of it. The life of a cpu under specified operating conditions is so long its not worth worrying about. I'v never in my life heard of a cpu wearing out by natural causes!

Finally, immidiately jumping to the idea that turning off power saving iimproves stability etc is just wastefull. I suppose in the case of extreeme overclocking it helps as it removes one more variable from the equation, but for everyone else not using power saving is just needlesly wasteful. I used to sit in the camp of people who turn off all power saving as a first thing when getting a new computer, but i now realise that there is no difference in performance in either mode, it changes powers states so fast you cant tell the difference. Plus, with power saving on fans runs slower and everything is quieter. No reason not to do so.

 

[randomizer]

Transistors can switch millions of times per second. Power saving alters the voltage and C-state hundreds of times per second at best. None of the variations are outside normal operating ranges. What is the issue?

 

[jsc]

While power saving features are enabled, there are immensely frequent voltage and temperature variations which is harmful to electronic devices especially the ones that are delicate such as CPU.

Source for this?

Hence, certain transistors will wear out much faster than the others and therefore it comes to my concern whether it would lead to instability of CPU after some time of use.
What do you think?

Again, source?

I have seen nothing in print to indicate that any of this is true.

Higher than rated voltages and temperatures can kill chips, so I suggest staying inside the manufacturer's recommended maximum, not absolute maximum, ratings.

 

[andy5174]

1. Source for this?


2. Again, source?

3. I have seen nothing in print to indicate that any of this is true.

Higher than rated voltages and temperatures can kill chips, so I suggest staying inside the manufacturer's recommended maximum, not absolute maximum, ratings.

1. You can see that the voltage and temperature keep changing hugely in CPU-Z and core temp respectively when power saving feature is enabled.

2.

Hence, certain transistors will wear out much faster than the others and therefore it comes to my concern whether it would lead to instability of CPU after some time of use. What do you think?

I didn't say it will and I am asking IF it will hurt the chip.

3.
As stated in 2., I never said it is true. I am asking if it is true or not.

 

[andy5174]

Transistors can switch millions of times per second. Power saving alters the voltage and C-state hundreds of times per second at best. None of the variations are outside normal operating ranges. What is the issue?

Please see my reply to jsc.

 

[jsc]

I misunderstood. I thought you were concerned because you read something.

Yes, the temperatures change under load. But so what? As long as the CPU temps and voltages stay under the maximum limits, you will not wear the CPU transistors out.

After I get my OC settings down, I turn SpeedStep and all the other power conserving stuff back on. I'm not concerned with the power saving. But that affects the temps. That I am concerned about.

 

[warmon6]

Even if power saving features did wear the cpu out faster, it would still be most likely the last thing to fail in the computer.